The Guardian: Main section

Tuesday 1 November 2005

Front page

Rory McCarthy in Damascus: This season there is a new rebel, a show called al-Hour al-Eyn, The Beautiful Maidens, which got past the censors and has run for an hour every night during Ramadan, to culminate in a final episode tomorrow night.

Top p3

The Home Office yesterday published four practice questions with multiple choices in the form in which they will actually appear in the electronic test. Below them are listed further topics that will be covered in questions.

National news p4

The Loyalist Volunteer Force, one of Northern Ireland's most reviled and ruthless paramilitary splinter groups, is considering destroying its weapons after standing down its members, peace brokers said yesterday.

Peers scrutinising the government's plans for the BBC have criticised them as 'confusing' and 'misguided' and called for a bigger role for media regulator Ofcom in overseeing the corporation. By Owen Gibson.

National news p6

The Commission for Racial Equality came under fire yesterday from its former chairman, Lord Ouseley, for giving priority to "soft" cultural questions instead of speaking out against the riots in the Lozells area of Birmingham nine days ago.

The Environment Agency yesterday launched a campaign to beat complacency about future deluges by marking the anniversary of floods that covered several areas of Yorkshire and damaged thousands of homes five years ago.

National news p9

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall fly into the US today on their first official overseas tour determined to win over an American public which appears to have absolutely no interest in the eight-day royal visit.

National news p14

Traditionalist Anglican clerics have warned US and Canadian churches in their strongest language yet that they must repent their liberal actions on gay rights or else risk a damaging international split in the 450-year-old church.

The father of the Soviet spy Kim Philby was arrested and interned during the second world war after the Saudi king tipped off British officials that he was leaving the country, Home Office files reveal.

They might not huddle round a marvellous mechanical mouse organ or live with an old cloth cat called Bagpuss, but scientists have discovered that mice are more musical than their simple squeaks suggest.

International news p16

Simon Tisdall: Taking refuge in the role of itinerant international statesman at time of domestic strife poses particular problems for Mr Bush, given the hostility much of his foreign policy continues to arouse at home and abroad.

International news p17

George Bush yesterday praised Silvio Berlusconi as 'a strong partner in peace' during a meeting at the White House, but the two leaders avoided any public discussion of Italy's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq or claims by the Italian prime minister that he repeatedly tried to talk the US president out of an invasion.

International news p23

The Israeli defence ministry has barred foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip in an apparent attempt to limit reporting on the killing of Palestinian civilians, the firing of artillery shells and the use of "sonic bombs" to terrify the local population.

Spain yesterday gained a baby princess who seems likely to become the country's first queen ahead of any future younger brothers after her father, Crown Prince Felipe, said the law of male succession would be changed.

Oliver Burkeman: The Diary doffs its hoody, and lets off a firecracker just metres from an elderly couple feeding the ducks, by way of a salute in honour of Louise Casey, the government's anti-social behaviour tsar.

Leaders and replies p34

Leader: David Blunkett recently described himself as an honest man but not a saint and yesterday, in a statement setting out his involvement with DNA Bioscience, a paternity testing company, he certainly justified the second part of that claim.

Leader: The timing of Saturday's three synchronised blasts on the eve of celebrations of the Hindu festival of Diwali and the Muslim Eid al Fitr, was calculated to hit ordinary families preparing for religious holidays.

Ubisense, the Cambridge location-technology company mentioned in a report headed AA to log call centre staff's trips to loo in pay deal, page 13, yesterday, have asked us to point out that contrary to any impression we may have given, they are not the suppliers to the AA of the tracking equipment in question.

Leaders and replies p35

Letters: Martin Kettle is correct that Ireland is "a state born in martyrdom and violence", (Ireland should forget its violent past, not romanticise it, October 29). However, many Irish citizens would feel that they were on the receiving end of that violence, rather then its perpetrators.

Letters: As an ex bus-guard (we didn't call them conductors in Manchester) I must say that one-man bus operation is one of the worst things that ever happened to public transport. (In praise of ... Routemasters, October 28).